Born in 1996, Nitai Rach is an award-winning Israeli conductor. He currently serves as Conductor in Residence of the Israel Chamber Orchestra, as well as Musical Director of its celebrated Fantasy concert series. Known for his musical insight, interpretive depth, and charismatic leadership, Rach brings a refined yet energetic presence to both symphonic and operatic repertoire.
Since completing his Bachelor’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at the Buchmann–Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University, Rach has collaborated with many of the leading orchestras in Israel and across Europe. His engagements include appearances with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Ra’anana Symphonette, Be’er Sheva Sinfonietta, and 21st Century Ensemble. Internationally, he has conducted ensembles such as the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra and the Tirgu Mureș State Philharmonic in Romania, the Athens Philharmonia Orchestra in Greece, the Universitätsorchester Dresden in Germany, the Lunigiana International Music Festival Orchestra in Italy, the “Haydn” Symphony Orchestra Vienna in Austria, and the Orquestra de Câmara de Cascais e Oeiras in Portugal.
Rach’s artistry has been recognized through a series of international awards. He is the First Prize and Orchestra Prize winner of the 1st “Wiener Schule” International Conducting Competition in Vienna (2021), First Prize winner of the OCCO Academy and Competition in Estoril, Portugal (2024), and Third Prize winner of the BMI International Conducting Competition in Bucharest (2023). In 2024, he also received the Special Prize at the 8th Ionel Perlea International Conducting Competition in Romania, awarded by the National Theater of Opera & Ballet “Oleg Danovski.”
Recent seasons have brought significant milestones. In 2025, Rach performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 13 with world-renowned pianist Elena Bashkirova. The previous year, he made his debut with the Tirgu Mureș State Philharmonic alongside pianist Daniel Ciobanu, a prizewinner of the Rubinstein Competition. He was invited to conduct the Finals of the 1st “Stretto” International Piano Competition, where he also served as a jury member. Earlier in 2024, he conducted the world premiere of the opera Kind of a Monster, composed by Ady Cohen with a libretto by soprano Shira Patshornik. In 2023, following his participation in the Florence Conducting Masterclass, he was invited to conduct at the Lunigiana International Music Festival in Italy, and in 2022 he recorded works by Manuel de Falla and Joaquín Rodrigo for the Ra’anana Symphonette’s “Color Food” Project.
Nitai’s musicianship has been shaped by mentorship from some of the leading conductors of the international scene, including Lahav Shani (Israel–Rotterdam Philharmonic), Jin Wang, PhD (China–Vienna), György G. Ráth (Italy), Helmuth Reichel Silva (Germany), and Michalis Economou (Greece). He is a recipient of the American–Israel Cultural Foundation Conducting Scholarship (2022–2023) and the Colton Scholarship for Emerging Young Talents awarded by Tel Aviv University (2022).
His artistry continues to evolve through a balance of expressive sensitivity, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to bringing orchestral music to new audiences worldwide.